1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for implementing electronic messaging lists. In particular, the invention relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for implementing group messaging lists based on trust mechanisms.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Electronic messages such as email and instant message systems have become a convenient method of communication for a growing number of people and businesses. One problem with such systems, however, is that it is now fairly common to receive unsolicited messages, particularly from unknown persons or entities. Accordingly, a number of filtering systems have been developed to avoid inefficiencies associated with having to read and/or summarily delete vast sums of messages from unknown recipients, or from suspect content providers.
For example, content-based filtering systems may filter out messages based on content typically found in advertisements, content that is offensive in one or more ways, or the like. Unfortunately, these types of filters may also accidentally filter out messages from trusted friends or family based on an errant analysis of the email content.
A “white list”-based filtering system, on the other hand, typically filters out messages based on an advanced trust of the sending entity's messaging address. This advanced trust can be created when the user of the white list sends a message to trusted people or entities, or when the user manually enters one or more trusted messaging addresses in the white list. Those whom the user trusts can then correspond with the user of the white list without additional challenges. Unfortunately, white-list filters typically do not filter out messages between the user of the white list and trusted members of the list based on categories of information, or secondary characteristics of the list members (e.g., family, friend, etc.). Furthermore, white lists do not typically let trusted members of the list identify each other, and therefore send and receive messages to each other.
Another type of filtering system is group-based messaging (also referred to as a “group list” or “message group list”), which is similar in some respects to white lists, and filter messages based on one or more addresses, as well as an additional group or category. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, a user 105 may create a group list that includes certain members in a “family” group list 110, and includes other members in a “friends” 120, or other organization group list, such as a “research” group 130. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the user 105 sends a message 180 to a group 110 address, each group member (e.g., 140, 150, 160, 170) of group 110 receives the message 180 without additional challenges. In addition, each group member (e.g., 140, 150, 160, 170) in the group may also identify the other group members, and so may also correspond with other group members without challenge.
One advantage of group message lists is that send and receive authority within the group depends primarily on group membership, thus prohibiting non-members from having the same interaction with the group. Thus, for example, all members of an “accounting” group may be automatically enabled to send and receive accounting group messages, but not send or receive “research” group messages. Unfortunately, persons who may be appropriate for viewing or sending certain group messages, but are otherwise persons not designated as group members, cannot view, send, or receive messages intended for the group without some difficulty.
For example, within an organization, a research employee may ask the group creator to add the research employee to an accounting membership list. The group administrator, however, may be reticent in adding the research employee to the accounting message group, since it may be inappropriate to give the research employee all the relevant send and receive privileges inherent to other group members of that group. As such, a client that is a non-member of the group may rely on asking a trusted member of a given group list to forward certain group-specific messages to the client. One can appreciate that it would be fairly inefficient for the client to rely on the group member's time and effort to forward the requested messages directed to one group, much less several groups.
Accordingly, an advantage in the art can be realized with systems, methods, and computer program products that implement trust-based mechanisms between groups, group members, and group non-members. In particular, it would be an advantage in the art to be able to combine the benefits of a white list with the benefits of a group messaging system, and thereby improve the efficiency of distributing messages in a trusted fashion.